All You Need Is Love

February 8, 2017

The 1980s was the decade of “me.” People were focused on themselves, and materialism ran rampant. It was during this decade of decadence that Juut Salon Spa owner David Wagner decided he wanted to run his business differently.

“I had this inkling that I wanted to be part of something not just cool, hip and fashionable, but also something with meaning and purpose,” he says.

In 1986, Wagner had a client who decided not to commit suicide after experiencing his kindness and attention in the salon, which further propelled his desire to contribute to the world in a more significant way.

A student of anthropology, Wagner studied all sorts of cultures, from gangs to the military, in his pursuit to create the right culture for Juut.

What he discovered was that people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and want to feel connected…and Daymaking was born.

Beauty trends change seasonally, but Juut’s culture has not changed in 30 years,” Wagner says. “In fact, it has actually become more relevant as the world speeds up and people feel more disconnected than ever—kindness is the new black.””

And when clients experience Daymaking, they get it.

“It’s not like we can advertise what they’re going to feel when they walk into Juut,” Wagner says. “We know they are looking for fantastic hair color and real results. But once they’re inside, and we share Daymaking with them, they bring it into their own lives and work places, too. It has a profound effect on them.”

Recently, a client came into Juut’s downtown Minneapolis location on her way to a job interview. She arrived downtown early, so she headed to the salon to have a peaceful moment to relax with a cup of tea for 10-15 minutes before her appointment.

Why not just stop into Starbucks? Because Juut is her “happy place.”

In the Palo Alto location, where many clients work in the high-stress world of technology, Wagner says clients often come into the salon to buy retail and just be in the positive, relaxing environment.

“Daymaking is never going to go out of fashion,” he says. “It’s only going to become stronger as the world is more in need of simple kindness, compassion and inspirational acts of love.”

In honor of Juut’s 30th anniversary, 30 Juut employees have shared their personal stories of Daymaking, inspired by their clients, co-workers and Wagner himself. Click on each employee’s photo to read their story.